Cold Mourning
by namesarenotimportant
Summary: A tragedy in Shumi village starts a series of events in motion that could spell certain doom for life on the entire planet.
1. Default Chapter

(All characters you know and love belong to Squaresoft. The rest are mine. No one sue.)  
  
Shumi Village.  
  
"Seer is wrong. There is light but no tunnel. The light is very beautiful, and there among all those you love resides Hyne, the doer and dreamer of all things." Retorted Keeper.  
  
"So much is not known, how can you be so sure Keeper?" argued Seer. "What does Artisan think?" Seer asked, as the third Shumi strolled around the biodome.  
  
Artisan sighed. Such was life here in Shumi village. When it was your turn to come up and man the ultima draw point, you had to listen to Seer's and Keeper's rhetoric about life, death, and afterlife. Those two always lobbied for the job because of the amount of time to talk it allowed. They always spent the entire day in the thrall of debate. It wasn't that bad really. Just rather annoying. Artisan had made a hobby of finding new ways of avoiding his turn. It'd gotten to the point that, one time; he'd tried to feign evolutionary pains. Obviously that trick only worked once. This time Elder and Assistant had seen him carrying a load of stones to his home and he couldn't come up with an excuse fast enough. So here he was hoping beyond hope that Seer and Keeper would ignore his presence. They didn't.  
  
"Artisan thinks he needs a new project." He announced as he grabbed a stone in his elongated fingers. He took a polishing cloth from his pocket and slowly started work at making this rock shine.  
  
"Seer thinks Artisan needs to share more with others." Seer explained as he walked over to Artisan and sat beside him. "Does Artisan not like us enough to join a debate?"  
  
Artisan sighed again and set his rock down. Looks like he wasn't getting out of this anytime soon.  
  
"Artisan thinks that to discuss the beginning and ending of something so much is to down play the most important part of the thing, the middle." He explained, proceeding to shine his rock again.  
  
Both Seer and Keeper looked pensively at each other.  
  
"So what does Artisan mean?" Seer asked. Keeper nodded as if asking the same question quietly. Artisan sighed again.  
  
Outside the biodome a shrill wind blew across the shimmering white landscape of Winter Island. Moving through the fog of snow was a heavily cloaked figure, pressing toward the biodome at a very slow and methodical pace.  
  
"Artisan is just making a point."  
  
The figure, carrying only a small steel briefcase, stopped just outside the biodome's doors and looked up into the sky. The sun was barely visible through the blowing snow, but it was directly overhead.  
  
"Why should Artisan concern himself with what lies beyond? No one, not even Elder knows when Artisan's end is to come, and there is no way for anyone to know."  
  
Placing the briefcase down, the figure proceeded to take off one of its gloves. Beside the case's handle there was a series of three red buttons. The figure hit each in sequence from right to left, and then grabbed the handle once again.  
  
"Artisan thinks time, of all commodities in this existence, time is something to be treasured and used to the utmost benefit."  
  
It was a common practice for Shumis, while on draw point duty, not to pester travelers visiting their home village, so Keeper, and Seer paid the figure no mind as it headed straight toward the elevator shaft that led to the village below. Artisan, however, stole a glance at the object this traveler was carrying. He'd seen only a few "cases" in his travels so one like this, with shiny red dots on the top, caught his interest and derailed his thinking for a moment.  
  
"Go on." Seer prompted impatiently.  
  
"Time is not ever lasting. We will, no matter what, all see the end whether we want to or not. What makes the difference is how the time we are given is used. The pursuit of happiness, of knowledge, and of peace of mind, these are the things we should endeavor to 'spend' our time on."  
  
323 meters below the surface, the elevator doors opened causing a pressure changing hiss and a brisk frosty breeze to sweep across the stairs leading down into the village. The figure moved out onto the steps and was greeted by Sculptor, who just happened to be heading up to see Artisan. With a boney hand, the figure shoved a note scrawled on a small piece of paper, into Sculptor's face. Luckily, Sculptor could read common tongue. He nodded to the figure and led him down the stairs and further into the village.  
  
"A discussion concerning what and how our end will be like is pointless. It's something that will come through time and really has no bearing on how life plays out, that is unless too much effort is focused on it. The discussion alone cannot change anything in our life, so why not put more energy forth into more satisfying pursuits? After all, for each and every one of us death will come."  
  
As Sculptor and the figure entered the drawing room, Elder and Assistant both greeted the stranger. With no expression, no words, nor even a breath the figure lifted up the briefcase by its handle. When the stranger's arm was fully extended in front of it, the case top flopped open revealing a crystal firmly stuck inside. Attached to the crystal was a small led readout. Numbers appearing then disappearing:  
  
"5.4.3.2.1.0"  
  
From as far away as Dollet the mushrooming purple cloud could be seen. It engulfed Winter Island and just up to Tabika Snowlands in mere seconds, and just as quick it dissipated.  
  
Seer, Keeper, and Artisan's bodies lay contorted on the floor of the biodome. Blood streamed from their ears, eyes and barely moving mouths. The elevator bell rang signifying it had returned from the village. The doors opened and the figure stepped out.  
  
He unwrapped himself from his cloak and flung it over is arm. Underneath he had a side pack slung over one shoulder; from it he pulled a radio, turned it on and spoke into it.  
  
"The results are promising. Further testing maybe required but these findings are more than satisfactory."  
  
The radio crackled and sputtered but eventually a voice spoke back.  
  
"Excellent. You may return when you've been sufficiently decontaminated."  
  
The very tall, very frail and very old looking man glanced down at Artisan's body as he passed by, shutting off the radio.  
  
The last thing Artisan saw before his breath left him was a silhouette walking through the biodome's doors. He thought it resembled a scarecrow, something he really wanted to draw, unfortunately his arms wouldn't move just now. Maybe he would just rest first.  
  
".and in Artisan's opinion, all we can do in the face of death is live." 


	2. chapter 2

(All characters you know and love belong to Squaresoft. The rest are mine. No one sue.)  
  
Squall rolled over. The shears hanging in the window danced in the air, grabbing his attention. The sun and salt sea air poured in from the window. Squall's lungs ate it up like they'd been starved for ages. He stretched his limbs and swept his hand over the other side of the bed, now empty. Slightly puzzled, but more groggy, he looked around the room. Everything was just how he'd left it last night: stacks of Weapons Monthly and Timber Maniacs overflowing near the closet, the Griever poster he never put on the wall leaning up against his desk and his spare gunblade sticking out from underneath it, his cadet uniform hanging on the wall, and his civvies piled on the floor below. A new addition to the controlled chaos was the light blue shall covering another pile of clothes.  
  
"Coffee?" Rinoa offered entering from the kitchen of Squall's suite.  
  
She had a steaming cup in each hand, and deftly wove in and out of the countless obstructions between her and the bed. Squall mindlessly sat up and took a cup carefully from her, all the while just absorbing the morning in.  
  
It had truly been an incredible week. Saving Rinoa in space. Facing Adel. Time Compression. Ultimecia's defeat. Getting lost on the way home. Now, here he was, back in his room, with Rinoa in his bed no less, and everything else as it should be. His expression descended into thought.  
  
Things sure have changed. He could remember a few weeks back, when the scene in his room now would have been so foreign and unusual. Now it seemed to be all he desired.  
  
Noticing his pensive look Rinoa set down her cup and snuggled in to his chest listening to his heart beat.  
  
"Anything you care to share with the class?" she quipped.  
  
"What's the shortest word for content you know?" he asked quickly.  
  
"Um. I dunno." She replied seriously. "Why?"  
  
"Well that'd be what to share with the class." Squall explained. "Whatever it is."  
  
"Are you saying you're content Mr. Leonhart?" she purred.  
  
"Absolutely." Squall accentuated his point with a light but affectionate kiss.  
  
Angelo poked his way into the room, sniffing around the magazines and gunblade then made his way to the bed, jumped up and started greeting its occupants. Squall first.  
  
"Hey. now. stop. that!" Squall sputtered, not knowing which he thought was worse: the dog's breath or the feel of its tongue on his nose.  
  
Rinoa just sat back and watched trying hard to hold back her laughter  
  
"Aw. Good morning to you too Angelo." Rinoa cooed at the mutt.  
  
"So much for a good morning kiss." Squall thought aloud, wiping off his face and heading to the bathroom sink.  
  
"Actually, he seemed to like it." Rinoa observed, as the dog proceeded to lie in Squall's place.  
  
"Cute." Squall complained looking at the dog.  
  
"Who is?" Rinoa asked quickly while standing up indulging in a yawn.  
  
The particular shirt of Squall's she was wearing came just to her thigh, however when she stretched it showed off her skimpy blue lingerie and tone midriff quite nicely.  
  
Squall slid under her outstretched arms as they found a comfy place around his neck. She gave him a quick peck.  
  
"I thought so." She smirked. "So what's on for today?"  
  
Squall sighed. The victory celebration Garden had held last night was quite enough for him. He'd had his hoorah and his pat on the back from all the guests that were in attendance. He'd been able to spout out something resembling a speech. He spoke about all the trite old concepts: a new day of peace and that kind of dribble that people wanted to hear. He'd shook as many hands and been introduced as many times as he could take, unfortunately both Esthar and Galbadia wanted to have their own celebrations as well, which meant at least two more nights of playing hero. Not something Squall was very happy about doing.  
  
"What's wrong?" Rinoa asked concerned about his silence.  
  
"What's on for today is what's wrong." Squall answered. "We have to parade around again. In front of an entire nation this time. I'm no orator. I hate giving speeches. Besides, they all want some kind of big story about what happened. I just want to put it behind me."  
  
He broke their embrace and went over to his closet to find a change of clothes.  
  
Rinoa came up behind him and hugged around his waist.  
  
"I know you hate it. I know you want to just fade back into obscurity and get on with your life. I'm actually starting to like that idea myself, but it's only for a few more days, and when it's all over I promise it'll be just you and me in a cottage in Winhill. I'll even leave Angelo with Selphie." She offered.  
  
Squall stopped fishing through his closet, and turned around in her arms.  
  
"Promise?" he asked suspiciously.  
  
"Cross my heart." she replied, making an X over her chest. "But first we go to Deling City and deal with the entourage there."  
  
Squall almost laughed at the face she made when mentioning her home town.  
  
"You don't want to go anymore than I do." He announced.  
  
"Hyne no. I hate that place." She stated adopting one of Squall's frowns.  
  
"We could skip it. You and me." Squall bargained. "We could be sick or something. Who knows what time compression can do to you?"  
  
Rinoa was on the cusp of agreement. She smiled up at Squall. The idea sounded quite plausible, but her better judgment (which now had a voice amazingly similar to Squall's) won out.  
  
"No. Alas. Our fans need us." She waxed dramatically flopping back onto the bed in mock distress. "For what will they do without us?"  
  
Squall smiled slightly.  
  
"I suppose the best thing about all this is they'll forget us in about two weeks. Some new T-boarder or something will come along, and whoosh! Out like yesterday's trash." He returned to the closet.  
  
"You think?" she asked sitting up. "I mean we saved the world. It was all going to end and we stopped that from happening. You think folks will forget about that?"  
  
Squall shrugged pulling out a new SeeD dress uniform from the closet, "Well ok maybe not two weeks but eventually. I, for one, can't wait."  
  
"People aren't THAT fickle Squall. I think this is a 'Down in the History books' sort of thing we did." She scolded sheepishly.  
  
"Maybe, I just want to get out of the spotlight, fast." Squall stuffed the uniform into a rather unusual looking hole in the wall, and touched a few keys on the pad beside it. Beneath the hole a slot produced the uniform firmly pressed and wrinkle free.  
  
He hung it on the door and sat back down on the bed next to her.  
  
"I say people will be remembering you for a long time Squall, regardless of what you might think." Rinoa cooed cuddling up to him.  
  
"Well, as long as certain people don't forget me," he kissed her hand, "I don't care what the rest do."  
  
She turned to face him, "Never. Never in a hundred million years. I'm not ever going to let you go Squall." She pecked him lightly on the lips. "Face it, you're stuck with me." She concluded simply.  
  
"No matter what?" he asked hopefully.  
  
"You and I shall grow old together, no matter what." She assured.  
  
"Good." He kissed her once more, noticing the clock as he opened his eyes. "Damn, we're late for General Caraway's arrival."  
  
She spun around to look at the clock. "Is it that late?" In an instant she sprang into action collecting her clothes and heading into the bathroom. On the way in her shall slipped to the floor.  
  
"I thought you didn't like your father?" Squall yelled into the door picking up her shall.  
  
"I don't. It's just that he wanted to sit down and talk with us." Rinoa yelled back.  
  
"What about?" Squall yelled curiously.  
  
The door to the bathroom opened and she snatched the garment from his hand and quickly said: "The future." Caraway stood in the main hall of Balamb Garden patiently, but silently. He was a man of almost six feet but to most of the students passing him by in the lobby he was a towering figure. His hair was slowly graying from back to front. His uniform held countless medals for bravery, and valor, but nothing seemed to make the man more imposing than his eyes. They were cold, hard, and calculating, and always looking for the next target. In this case, it was standing right next to him.  
  
"I'm sure they're on their way, sir." Zell explained. "You know Rinoa and Squall; they probably just got busy along the way."  
  
Caraway raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Err not busy. I mean not that way sir. more like just slow to get out of bed." Zell corrected.  
  
Caraway raised the other eyebrow, looked at his watch and then back to Zell half expectantly.  
  
"NOT that they'd be sleeping together in the same bed sir. no sir. no way.. No chance of that here sir.. With the amount of teenagers running around here almost totally unsupervised.hem. you want something to drink, coffee; tea maybe? How about I get you a cup of tea. yeah I'll just do that." Zell quickly walked away from the directory.  
  
Quistis was just coming from the infirmary.  
  
"Hey Zell, you ok? Last I saw of you, you were choking on a bunch of hot dogs." She asked cautiously.  
  
"Yeah I survived," He said looking over his shoulder, "only to have to greet that Caraway guy ALONE this morning."  
  
"Where are Squall and Rinoa?" Quistis asked automatically.  
  
Zell just shot her back a look of sheer condescension.  
  
"Oh." she mentally answered her own question.  
  
"If they don't get down here soon I think he's going to apply to teach here." Zell shivered at the thought.  
  
Quistis ran a hand over her hair, in its typical bun. "I'll stall him. You find those two, pronto."  
  
Zell put a hand on her shoulder. "Hynespeed and good luck." With that he ran off in the direction of the dormitories.  
  
Quistis turned and walked as confidently as she could over to Caraway.  
  
He was looking at his watch when she introduced herself.  
  
"Hello sir, Nice to see you again. Instructor Quistis Trepe. Remember? I was leading the gate team during that mission to assassinate the." she was interrupted.  
  
"Charmed. Do YOU know where my daughter is?" he asked bluntly.  
  
"She's on her."  
  
"Yes she's on her way. I got that from your caffeinated friend there." He motioned toward the direction Zell ran off in. "Tell me miss Trepe; Do you suppose someone could go get her? Or is she still wrapped around that laconic fellow.. What's his name.? Gale? Funny name for a man."  
  
"Squall." She corrected. "Remember the one who charged Edea head on when she was possessed? The one who defeated Adel to save your daughter? The one who defeated Ultimecia? Or were you otherwise engaged while we were on those missions?" She was not sparing any politeness for this guy, especially when he was so callous toward Squall.  
  
He caught on very quickly. "My apologies, miss Trepe." He began.  
  
"It's Instructor Trepe." She corrected.  
  
"Of course. Instructor. Again my apologies. I've been waiting almost an hour listening to your friend. It's been rather aggravating to say the least. He obviously was nervous. However, I'm rather dismayed at my daughter and her behavior keeping me waiting like this." He said matter-of- factly while not making eye contact.  
  
"Yes. I can't imagine why she wouldn't want to come to your every beck and call." Quistis mumbled under her breath.  
  
"Pardon?" he said thinking he'd missed something important.  
  
"Just agreeing sir." She covered.  
  
He nodded. They both began surveying the lobby in silence for any sign of Rinoa or Squall.  
  
Zell's head soon popped up and was signaling them. Quistis nodded.  
  
"Here they are." She announced pointing to Zell.  
  
Zell wasn't running as fast as when he'd left, but he certainly was making a beeline for Quistis. Right behind him was Squall decked out in a SeeD uniform hand in hand with Rinoa.  
  
"I apologize, sir. I have no excuse." Squall stated as he came within earshot. He looked to Quistis and mouthed a thank you.  
  
"That's. alright." Caraway replied looking expectantly at Rinoa.  
  
"Hello." She greeted coldly.  
  
Caraway, not usually one to be baited, turned a light shade of purple. "Is there some place private the three of us can talk?"  
  
"Yes, this way General." Squall motioned toward the quad which was empty at this hour.  
  
Quistis waved Rinoa to stop for a second. "All due respect, but has he always been so tightly wound?"  
  
"You have no idea. Thanks for stalling." Rinoa patted her shoulder and then ran off after Squall.  
  
Zell came up to Quistis chomping on a hotdog. "Damn. Even when their in trouble they look good together."  
  
Quistis groaned inwardly looking away from Squall's shrinking silhouette and noticed Zell's food.  
  
"Where did you get that!?" Quistis demanded pointing to the hot dog.  
  
"Cafeteria. Early Zuu gets the Bite Bug." He explained.  
  
"Before or after you found Squall and Rinoa?" Quistis asked angrily.  
  
"Before?" He answered quizzically with a large mouthful.  
  
She grabbed the hog dog from his hand and threw it emphatically into a trash bin near the stairs to the elevator.  
  
Zell looked mystified as Quistis stormed off toward the Library, "Something I said?"  
  
The quad was empty as Squall had expected. The sun was almost directly over head making for a nice shady spot underneath one of the trees just as you come through from the lobby. There they found a cement bench. Squall motioned for Rinoa and Caraway to sit down.  
  
"What was it you wanted to see us about sir?" Squall began politely.  
  
"Is this place entirely secure? I mean.. Can we speak freely?" Caraway looked suspiciously around the quad.  
  
"I'm quite sure no one is listening to this conversation sir." Squall stated annoyed.  
  
Caraway seemed not to notice. Rinoa looked at her watch and yawned.  
  
"Lack of security aside, I'll be brief." Caraway gave Squall a rather unimpressed look. "Rinoa you're coming up on your eighteenth birthday. I know it's a very confusing and sensitive time in your life. But I am hoping we can put the past behind us and bring about a positive outlook on your future." Caraway explained.  
  
Squall looked confusingly at Rinoa who returned the same expression.  
  
"In short I want you to come and take you rightful place at my side in Galbadia. We need strong leaders and figure heads in our country, and quite frankly, young lady, you are as strong a figure head as they come, being a full-fledged Sorceress now. Of course you'd need to see how things are run but I'm sure that by the end of say two or three years I would be able to retire as president and let you take the reigns. Of course your. hem. friend here is welcome to join us. (Not in an official capacity of course.) But more than welcome to tag along." As Caraway finished he realized the incredulous look but Rinoa and Squall were giving him.  
  
"What you don't think I was here to prompt a marriage proposal out of, Gale, sorry. Squall here, do you?" Caraway slapped Squall on the shoulder actually starting to chuckle in a most odd way, snorting at the end of each chuckle.  
  
"Oh that'd be a sight. Leaning on the Commander of a Mercenary force to make an honest woman of my daughter. Ha ha ha ha. Oh that'd be funny indeed. Imagine the talk in the Social circles back home. (Snort)."  
  
Squall's face was slowly losing colour and his incredulous look had slowly changed to worry. Rinoa's expression was stuck on 'shock'.  
  
Caraway examined his audience for a moment and a fearful thought struck him.  
  
"There ISN'T any reason for you to be an UNHONEST woman is there Rinoa?" asked Caraway indignantly.  
  
Rinoa was still in slight shock as she spoke.  
  
"What? What!? NO! Hyne no. We're being responsible." Squall's eyes nearly went the size of saucers. "Besides General, THAT is none of your damn business!" she nearly shouted.  
  
Caraway was almost going to retort when she flew into him again.  
  
"In the first place, I don't give a DAMN what those idiotic socialite fools think of me, the life I choose, or the man I love." She grasped Squall's hand as she stated the last part. "In the second place, who died and made you president? I don't remember any General being in any line for that position! What? They get short on true politicians over there? And thirdly, WHEN Squall and I choose to become man and wife you certainly won't be consulted about the subject."  
  
Caraway was quite purple at this point. Squall was actually wondering what was keeping his head from exploding, and then it did sort of.  
  
"Well to answer your question, you two made me president when you defeated the Sorceress. Having no one to turn to the people of Galbadia asked me to lead them. Naturally I accepted. As for your personal life, you surely didn't consult me when that other boy was in your life. Look where that got you. What was his name? Seifer? Grand choice he was. I suppose you haven't even told this one about that whole incident. How many did that Seifer wind up killing in that Trabia bombing, anyway? Hmm fine catch there." Caraway was just on line of shouting now, and he was on his feet.  
  
Rinoa wasn't slow to her feet. "My personal life is JUST THAT General, PERSONAL!!! So kindly stay the hell out of it. AND THE REST OF MY LIFE TOO FOR THAT MATTER!!!!!"  
  
Without thinking she stormed off leaving Squall. Alone. With her father.  
  
"So." Caraway looked Squall dead in the eye, "that the type of woman you want to spend the rest of your life with; Flippant, out of control, undisciplined and disrespectful?"  
  
Squall measured out about an inch between his thumb and fore finger.  
  
"I'm about this close to striking you sir. So, before I walk away from you, I want you to understand one thing." Squall stated evenly though his gritted teeth. He'd had enough of this man. He pointed toward Rinoa's shrinking figure.  
  
"SHE is the best thing that's ever happened in my life. You say she's out of control, and undisciplined, I say she's more in control of her life than you ever will be, and is disciplined enough to handle one of the most important responsibilities left on this world; she is a Sorceress. Do I want to spend the rest of my life with her? Damned right I do. Though, I'm not the real problem here, am I? No. I'm betting that it's got more to do with Julia Heartilly."  
  
Caraway pointed a single finger toward Squall's throat. "Don't YOU ever talk about my wife."  
  
Squall smiled wickedly, knowing he'd hit the mark, and opened his arms as if for a hug.  
  
"Go ahead sir. Take a swing. I'm willing to bet that your punch won't hurt as much as the truth."  
  
"Oh and what's that?" Caraway demanded rolling up his sleeves.  
  
"Rinoa is exactly like her mother, your wife." Squall stated simply, "she never loved you either."  
  
WHACK! One single blow struck Squall across the face. Blood began trickling slowly from the right side of his mouth. When the second swing came Squall caught Caraway's arm.  
  
"Attention! Would Commander Leonhart please report to the bridge immediately! I repeat Squall you are needed on the bridge at once!"  
  
Squall released the general's arm with authority.  
  
"We'll finish this later, SIR. Enjoy your stay." Squall's words were venomous as he turned his back to the general and walked off to the elevator.  
  
Something inside Caraway made him stop from lunging after Squall. Actually it was something inside his jacket.  
  
He pulled out the small cellular device that was buzzing. It was a cell phone/text message receiver. The message on it was short and to the point:  
  
"Incident on Winter Island." 


	3. chapter 3

(All characters you know and love belong to Squaresoft. The rest are mine. No one sue.)  
  
Rinoa was furious. She should have known. She plopped herself down on the stairs in front of the elevator.  
  
Why else would HE come here if not to use me to his advantage somehow? Damn him. I hope Squall wasn't too offended. oh no.  
  
"Squall!" she exclaimed standing up.  
  
"Right here." He called running from the direction of the quad. He was trying to hide his face.  
  
"I'm sorry about him. Don't worry about it though. I'm not going anywhere. are you bleeding? DID HE HIT YOU?" she shouted.  
  
"Yeah." Squall conceded. "But I now that I think about it, I probably deserved it."  
  
Rinoa looked at him half smiling, "What did you say?"  
  
"I'll tell you later. Right now I've got to get to the bridge." Squall pointed to the elevator.  
  
"Am I. do I go with.?" she asked confused.  
  
Squall smiled pushing the button for the elevator. "It's probably nothing. Just Nida wanting to know where to park when we get to Deling or something. Go grab us a table at the cafeteria and I'll meet you there when I'm done."  
  
"Will you tell me what you said then?" she pushed him lightly. The elevator doors opened behind him.  
  
"Maybe." He joked as he got on and the doors shut him inside.  
  
The bridge was not all that noisy when Squall arrived, but it was suspiciously crowded. There were several maps out below the pilot's nest and two or three SeeDs at each one going over different sorts of calculations. Squall heard a few words like 'Damage assessment' and 'Ground Zero.' That was all he needed to realize this wasn't just some minor question from Nida. All conversations had died as soon as he walked out of the elevator.  
  
"What's going on?" he asked cautiously to the group.  
  
"There's been an incident Squall." Xu's voice dropped down from atop the Pilot's nest.  
  
She stepped on the lift and came down. After passing a small diskette to one of the nearby SeeDs she grasped Squall's arm and pulled him aside.  
  
"There was some kind of explosion on Winter Island." She began. "Any and all communication with Shumi village is gone. The Galbadians have tried for the last two hours to reach someone there and there's been no response. They've sent in a search team, but they lost contact about half an hour ago."  
  
"Whoa. whoa. Slow down for a second. What do you mean? How do you know all this?" Squall asked quickly.  
  
"Most of what we know comes from visual confirmation from Dollet and radio interception from Galbadia. Since the re-introduction of radio waves the Galbadians haven't really spent too much time on encrypting their signal." Xu explained. "From what we've over heard, Galbadian radar along with some far reaching microwave sensor positions picked up some kind of massive explosion on Winter Island about 07:00 this morning."  
  
Squall walked over to a map of Galbadia. "So did someone fire a missile from Galbadia." He thought of Caraway sitting smugly in the quad and frowned. "or Esthar maybe?"  
  
"No. The Galbadians haven't been able to reestablish their missile base since we destroyed it." Xu stated. "And according to our intelligence, Esthar doesn't have this kind of range with their intercontinental missile systems. Besides, this bang was bigger than any conventional weapon we know of." she let that sink in for a moment before continuing.  
  
"Judging from the information we've gathered and the location of the sensors that picked up the explosion, nothing was fired at the island."  
  
"So it originated on the island." Squall finished her thought.  
  
"As far as we can tell." Xu nodded. "There is something strange about the nature of this explosion though."  
  
She motioned down at a holographic map of Winter Island it simulated the explosion as she continued.  
  
"We'd expect to see some kind of creator. Some sign of structural damage. There isn't any. Radar is still picking up the Biodome with the same dimensions it had before the explosion. There's no rock movement in the surrounding area, no real evidence of any damage what so ever."  
  
Squall looked confused. "So some kind of experiment then? Maybe Artisan."  
  
"No Squall. There's been no contact will Shumi village. Not a peep." Xu turned to a SeeD behind her. "There's also something else. Mark?"  
  
The SeeD went over to another holographic map on the other side of the room and ejected a disc from its drive. He brought it over to Xu.  
  
"We recorded this just before the Galbadians lost contact with their search party." She shoved the disc into the Winter Island Map's drive.  
  
The image of Winter Island disappeared and the face of a Galbadian solider took its place. Along side of his face were two readouts, one of his global position, one of his heart rate.  
  
".Echo base this is Columbus five. We are on solid ground now and have begun a circular sweep of grid 1a. There's nothing out of the ordinary as of yet." reported the solider. His heart rate remained constant but it was rather high.  
  
Another disembodied voice came in over the soldier's.  
  
"Columbus five this is Echo base. How you doing Hoss? Tell ya what, we're watching your meds here and I'll give ya a shiny new gil if you calm down just a little bit. "  
  
The soldier smiled into the lens.  
  
"Yes sir. I. holy shit." the soldier breathed  
  
The lens of his communicator turned around. It was out of focus at first then slowly started to fix itself. All around him were monster carcasses, thousands of them. Every indigenous monster on the island was lying on its side slowly being covered by the blowing snow, some in herds, and some with their young, all dead.  
  
The lens turned back to the Soldier, who was looking at readout from one of his portable sensors.  
  
"Sir, there's not a living thing on this island except us. Our scans haven't given us much to go on either, only some kind of weird magical resonance. We'll need to bring back our findings to ." the soldier's nose slowly began to trickle blood and his rate began a steady climb.  
  
"Columbus five, HOSS, what's going on there buddy? Are you ok?" shouted the base commander.  
  
The soldier began to wobble unsteadily and eventually collapsed. As he did his transmission turned to static.  
  
"Columbus FIVE. COME IN. HOSS. DAMNIT ANSWER ME!!!!!!!!" The base commander screamed.  
  
The image on the holographic map shut off, and the disc ejected.  
  
"We think whatever it was that went off killed every living thing on that island and left some kind of contamination, which wiped out the search party as well." Xu concluded.  
  
"Some kind of biological or chemical agent?" Squall inquired.  
  
"No, not exactly. There are a few theories being explored right now and we don't have all the information we would like to." Xu began  
  
"Xu." Squall interrupted.  
  
"We don't have all the facts as of yet sir. I want to do a final check before." Xu stammered.  
  
"Tell me Xu. you have an idea what did this don't you?" Squall grasped her by the shoulders.  
  
She sighed heavily.  
  
Caraway stood in the quad where Squall had left him. He'd been on his secure line for near half an hour now.  
  
"We think it was a metagenetic device, sir." stated the voice over Caraway's cell phone.  
  
Caraway's face turned ghostly pale.  
  
"I want to see all we have on Dr. Gerrish and his research ASAP Major." Caraway demanded into his phone.  
  
"On it sir. We're sending a helicopter to pick you up as we speak sir." said the voice over the phone.  
  
"How did this happen Major? I thought that lab was destroyed ten years ago?" Caraway interrogated.  
  
"We're still looking into it sir." Explained the Major apologetically.  
  
"Well get on it, fast." Caraway insisted.  
  
"Yes sir. Do we inform Garden sir?" Major asked.  
  
Caraway looked down at his aching knuckles. "No. Not until we have a story to tell them." 


End file.
